The View from Above

[Corellion]

A masterpiece Googlie God. Very well done (and I look forward to the next).

[Gnool]

It's nice having humans described as a superior alien race

[Timbba]

Hmm... but when the aliens in SMAX research, they are rebuilding their old technology, right? This applies at least until the some-piece-of-singularity-technology-or-another where they get the Resonance Communicators. So they already had singularity technology before SMAX... so a fusion drive shouldn't be *that* huge a wonder.

[Googlie]

No - but the wonder is the pace of the research - it has taken the Humans just over 100 years to advance (on Earth) from Fission (1942) to Fusion (2055 ish) - the hypothesis re: the Aliens is that they take 5000 to 10,000 years to develop each of their original techs (per the official backstory they've been around for milennia, much like the Lizard race in Harry Turtledove's "Balance: and "Colonization" trilogies)

[Googlie]

DFSF2
Tau Ceti Star System

‘Tlotl relaxed by the sweeping window of the observation deck of the Space Station, gazing out at the broad expanse of stars, and imagining that he could see, in the distance, the cluster of the Rim Systems.

He liked to come here, both for the exotic drinks available as well as the occasional interchange of greetings and gossip with a traveling Usurper who stopped in for a refreshment. The vidres screens were active, but he hadn’t bothered to rent a yoke for the full sensory experience, content to let his mind wander and glance occasionally at the screens to see what was happening elsewhere.

The channels were united in their presentations – whether Usurper, fed in from the Rim Systems, or Caretaker, from Harmony – why even the feed from Immunity was carrying the Harmony signals. They were all about the preparation of the battle fleets, their provisioning, discussion about the likelihood of finding anything worthwhile on Manifold Six, and endless grunting snouts pontificating about the meaning of the Manifolds and the significance of joint Caretaker-Usurper operations. Pundits were expounding on Epsilon Eridani, and were resonating their theories as to why the Ancients would have chosen that star system as the home for the Sixth Manifold.

He wondered idly what H’rvath and the Emperor had discussed after he had left the conference chamber – it sure had set H’rvath in a tizzy – he hadn’t seen the old coot bustle since ….. well, since as long as he’d known her.

And he pondered the cryptic comment the young assistant engineer, Voth, had made when he said in passing “If I were you I’d get ready to leave here when the new crews arrive” What by the Systems did that mean?

A flickering from the window caught his eye, and he turned to look. One of the cargo gantries from a docking bay was swinging out into the void, and he puzzled as he saw a pressurized walkway begin to extend also. Then he blinked in astonishment as the view distorted, shimmered, then solidified at a Scoutship materializing before his eyes and hooking up to the snaking gantries.

But not just any scoutship. He saw the insignia, and the name proudly displayed:

Eminence

This was the Emperor’s own starcruiser. Was the venerable Go’og visiting the space station? Was this why H’rvath was so jittery?

He finished his drink and rose quickly, and hurried out of the observation deck heading for the docking bay, almost colliding with ‘Voth as he swept round a corner.

“Oh, I see you have your activation orders,” resonated ‘Voth

‘Tlotl’s blank stare was a giveaway.

“Oh, you haven’t,” ‘Voth altered. “Then why are you ………….. oh, I see. Just curiosity. Well you’ll have enough time to satisfy that as you – and I – are leaving later this turning on the vessel.”

‘Tlotl’s eyes widened. “We are? … Why us? …. What for?…. Who else?” … he stuttered in staccato bursts of resonance.

“Scouting mission,” ‘Voth altered in return. “To investigate those strange emanations you recorded those few turnings ago. Grab your personal belongings and I’ll meet you on ship.”

****************************************

H’rvath shuffled slowly along the walkway, heart heavy. This seemed so much like an exile to her. Oh, yes, there would be a wormhole to the Alpha Centauri star system, but by the Emperor’s tone she’d be there for many turnings, perhaps hundreds even. And might she even be asked to meet with and deal with those aliens? Learn their squawking language perhaps?

As she neared the ship, she suddenly felt a tremor run through her mind, and an unbidden inward resonance:

”Disturbed ….. . why not joyous? … Mission to achieve greatness! … Glory song to sing ……….. “

She stopped.

It had been countless turnings since she had experienced that.

The presence in her mind of a Gnat communicating with her empathically.

She hesitated, trying to recall how she used to induce the trance-like state that let her weak empath skills flourish and communicate with the Gnat in return. At least the Gnats were masters at it, so she could be as halting and hesitant as she liked, it would understand.

” .. I am leaving a place I love, perhaps never to return. My heart is thus heavy. But it is strengthened by your presence. Do I know you?”

”I am ‘Aqila ….. bonded to Sartir …… brood hatchling of ‘Motra … memories of you … H’rvath

Tears welled in H’rvath’s eyes, and she blinked rapidly to suppress them. Those memories…………………………………………….

**************************************

H’rvath stood silently beside S’oth, her broodmate, his forelimb draped comfortably across her shoulders as they watched the miracle unfolding before them.

‘Motra was standing beside the egg, now cracking, anxious to assist in the birth of his offspring, and silently grieving the death of his mate who had perished giving birth. Her Glory Song still resonated in his heart. His time would be soon, as S’oth was now unable to bond, and no-one else could be trained. He would instruct the hatchling for a few turnings, but then it would be time for him to take that final flight, spiraling into Tau Ceti.

Then the crack deepened, as the small head popped out, body straining to follow, pushing out, then standing proudly in the wreckage of the shell, she unfolded her wings and gave a small screech:

’Aqila ……. I am

H’rvath let out a long suppressed sigh, and felt S’oth’s grip tighten around her. She hated this part of the ‘dance’, as it portended disaster, and the imminent loss of her loved one. For once a Gnat lost its pilot, for whatever reason, deterioration set in until it would be unable to soar – and there always needed to be enough left to leave Harmony’s gravity and seek the solace of the star. In a few turnings ‘Motra would do just that, taking his goodbyes of his pilot, S’oth, and friends, then rising majestically, unridden, to the stars to seek the death spiral of its sun. And S’oth would be heartbroken. And would memorize every syllable and nuance of the Glory Song as ‘Motra would sing himself to his fiery grave.

And the cycle was almost complete.

They glanced towards the entrance to the Gnat Brood Pen, situated high on a craggy cliff by the edge of Harmony’s eastern desert, to see an older Progenitor approaching, talons linked, with a young female. She was a hatchling herself, little more than 3 turnings old, but trained from hatching for this moment, for the bonding with the Gnat. She would be her pilot for as long as either lived, and no other could fly, or be let fly, than with one another.

H’rvath felt the almost palpable internal resonance as the older Empath communicated with the young Gnat

‘Aqila. We are honored to make your acquaintance. This is Sartir, your bondmate, trainer and pilot to be. Get to know one another.

The tentative empath probe from the young Progenitor was felt by all around - diffident, shy, hesitating, almost fearful……..

I am Sartir

The hatchling Gnat let out another squeal, and rushed over to the young Progenitor, and stopped short, unfolding her wings and wrapping them around Sartir. The Gnat, even newly hatched, was almost three times as large as Sartir, which discomfited her somewhat, but she soon succumbed to the embrace and in turn placed her head against the Gnat’s shoulder.

H’rvath turned away, tugging S’oth with her. They headed off towards a small deck at one end of the cliffside.

“Come, this is their moment now. Let us spend time with ‘Motra and comfort him.”

‘Motra sensed the empath link with his old pilot, and with a last projection to his young offspring turned too.

With a majestic full spread of his wings he soared from the cliff edge, turning, and almost stopping in mid air. H’rvath dimly sensed a communication between Gnat and pilot, then she saw ‘Motra shimmer against the sky, and disappear from her sight, only to reappear, seated with folded wings at the cliff’s edge where they were heading.

“Cloaked” resonated S’oth. “Close enough that my signals still register with him, even although I can no longer fly. Let us go and discuss his Glory Song”

And then she heard it, as fresh as the day it was sung, in her mind, now being projected softly by ‘Aqila:

To Live .. to Soar ..to Fight ..
that we have done
together ….
To Die…that is my right
To seek my Sun
And bond forever….

Tears welled again in her eyes as she entered the Eminence

“Thank you, ‘Aqila she resonated softly, Thank you

[Hercules]

Well done again so touching it pulls at your pulmonary system attachments.

[Googlie]

The Eminence
DFSF2
Tau Ceti Star System

‘Tlotl had to stoop as he entered the hatch to The Eminence and almost stumbled over an equipment bag lying to one side as he moved inside.. A stern-looking Praetorian Guard waved him along the corridor with a gruff resonance:

“Your quarters will be the sixth on the right”

He passed down the corridor glancing into the various small cabins on the way, saw H’rvath unpacking her gear in one of the better furnished rooms, then stopped at the next, one of the most opulent rooms he had ever seen, and ran a reverent talon across the nameplate on the door. He sensed the quiet resonance internally .

Emperor Go’og

Inside he saw ‘Voth laying a tunic on a couch and stowing personal belongings in an undercouch drawer

He coughed discreetly ….

“Won’t you get into trouble taking this cabin?” his interrogative resonance reaching ‘Voth, who stood up and grinned at ‘Tlotl

“No” he altered. “This has been assigned to me.”

“Why you?” altered ‘Tlotl. “Because you were the last one assigned to the team?”

“Well, could be” came the alteration in reply. “Probably more so as I am one of the Emperor’s offspring – and actually am Mission Commander for this venture”

‘Tlotl saw for the first time the rank rings on ‘Voth’s tusks – two layers of them on each of the two lateral tusks. He stuttered, the resonances delivered in staccato bursts, dissonant and disjointed:

“But …. How could … by the Systems …”

he racked his mind quickly to see if he could remember making any traitorous remarks in ‘Voth’s presence, then relaxed somewhat as he realized that his interchanges with ‘Voth had been few and far between, and mostly of a teasing or bullying variety.

Then he began to sweat again …

“I mean …..”

‘Voth grinned.

“No problem,” he resonated softly. “You weren’t one of the worst. And I endured all the hassle on my Brood sire’s orders. In fact, I asked specifically for you, as being someone I could work well with. You are a talented researcher, ‘Tlotl.”

‘Tlotl stammered “But you have H’rvath. I’m nowhere near as venerable or qualified as she is”

“But you have imagination,” ‘Voth altered. “She is now too hidebound in her ways. She’ll be good for classic interpretation, but with a newly emerging sentient race to research, your lack of traditional methodology of interpretation will be crucial.

“But I see that you are perplexed. Dump your stuff in your cabin and come back to the Chartroom – next on the right. We’re meeting there to see what the latest findings are from Manifold Six”

As ‘Tlotl moved further down the corridor, he became aware of a tingling in his mind – a feeling that just wouldn’t go away ……. that he was being watched – or listened to, perhaps. And is strengthened as he neared his assigned quarters.

He almost bumped into her, so engrossed was he with trying to determine what was in his mind.

“Oh, sorry,” he blurted out in a sharp, almost painful resonance.

He felt the soothing in his mind, with an almost palpable “Don’t worry – it happens all the time” thought emerging from his sub consciousness.

‘Tlotl looked up at the apparition before him – the most desirable female he’d ever seen. A Caretaker, to be sure, but the beauty of her carapace, the flawless arrangement of her tusks – still forming – and the pheromones she was releasing – she desired him too. But she was young.

She bared her teeth in a smile of greeting and resonated audibly:

“I am Sartir, bondmistress of the Gnat ‘Aqila. And you are …. ?”

“Junior researcher, ‘Tlotl,” he stammered in reply. “Are you an Empath?”

Sartir bowed her neck gracefully in acknowledgement.

“Yes,” she altered. “That is how we bond with the Gnats.”

They were interrupted by a short resonance burst informing them of the imminent commencement of the planning meeting.

“Are you on your way there?” Sartir asked.

“As soon as I dump these in my cabin,” he replied – I’ll see you there.”

Sartir nodded and moved off down the corridor.

‘Tlotl found his quarters, slung his pack in on the small couch there, and hurried back after her, but she’d already disappeared from view into the Chartroom.

He entered, and looked around. Seven Progenitors were lounging around the small holotable, with an empty couch beside Sartir, to which she beckoned him.

He shuffled over, as ‘Voth began to resonate.

“Welcome all. Our newest arrival is ‘Tlotl, one of the key researchers here at DFSF2 and the scientist who first detected the emanations from Manifold Six”

‘Tlotl nodded to the seated crewmembers as he took his place beside Sartir.

‘Voth continued.

“And I am ‘Voth, Mission Commander. But those from here know me just as ‘Voth, so continue referring to me in that way. At my right is the Station Commander, H’rvath, who is also senior researcher and will fulfill that role in this mission. At my left is ‘Psat, of the Praetorian Guard, who will command the ground forces we have in the event we land on Manifold Six. ‘Psat is our Security Officer. Across the table sits Admiral Rr’ark, the ship’s captain, and to his right is Fal’on, Chief Xenobiologist from Harmony, and assigned to this mission for the eventuality that what we are seeing might in fact be a premature Flowering of Manifold Six, and not the alien colonization we have hitherto presumed it to be. And flanking ‘Tlotl, our newcomer, are Sartir and D’oss, who pilot the Gnats ‘Aqila and Phraek respectively.

“Our mission is to penetrate the inner space of the Alpha Centauri star system, and commence detailed surveillance of Manifold Six. We currently have 2 probes in close proximity, streaming data, but we assume that this alien race either has, or will in a few turnings develop, space travel, and we shall need then to remove our probes and operate ourselves, hidden and cloaked.

“We have already cast off, and will shortly be seeking the wormhole to the Alpha Centauri system, but in the meantime, perhaps H’rvath can brief us on the resbursts from the probes and try to make sense of them.”

H’rvath began:

“Well, since our probes reached their locations a few turnings ago we have had several streamed resbursts that I’ll replay for you now – just snippets, as there is an almost full crystal of them.”

She waved a talon across the table top, and a faint Holovid began to shimmer before their eyes – that of a planet suspended in space, a mottled russet, brown and blue color, streaked with swathes of white, presumed to be clouds.

“Here is Manifold Six,” she resonated softly.

The chartroom was hushed as all reverently gazed upon the handiwork of their forebears.

A manufactured planet. Self developed sentience. Progressing towards Flowering. And now invaded by an alien species. An aggressive, warmaking species. And one whose research rate was a hundredfold that of the Progenitors.

“Here’s what our sensors picked up,” continued H’rvath, “on the electro-magnetic spectrum”

A series of staccato pulses flashed in the space where the planet hung – no pattern, seemingly random, although from time to time ‘Tlotl thought he detected a repetition of segments.

They looked at one another. ‘Voth asked:

“And what are these emanations?”

H’rvath shrugged.

“We don’t know. I haven’t encountered them before. But when I mentioned them at the earlier briefing P’sat became adamant that enough of the old 3-pulse armor kits be available for any potential land forces we might have with us.”

‘Tlotl coughed discretely.

“Well,” H’rvath glared. “You wish to share a resonance?”

“The emanations are a binary code,” he altered. “Your aliens are probably robot research and discovery machines, communicating with each other in binary. It is how our Ogres receive and process instructions. I thought everyone knew that.”

H’rvath glowered at him.

“Everyone doesn’t. And if what you surmise is correct, then they are “researching” and “discovering” much, as these strings of gibberish are endless.

“But that’s not all.”

She waved a talon across the space and the crystal jumped to a new sequence.

The signals were weaker, as the probe was at its extended audio wavelength range. They seemed to emanate from a structure mostly underground, with just the hint of a surface profile.

Again incessant, always the same pattern, but a veritable profusion of them

Fal’on snorted. “Pollution. That’s what those are. Evidences of the Aliens’ disregard for Planet and its workings. Multiple pollutions.”

‘Voth took the floor again:

“Well then,” he resonated. “That will be our focus when we first arrive. ‘Tlotl, you focus on these bines” – that was one of ‘Voth’s most irritating habits …. cutting his resonances short and expecting his audience to decipher what he meant – “see if you can decipher what they mean so that we can interpret what they are communicating.

“And Fal’on. Find out what you can about these Polls”

[Googlie]

Had so much time waiting for 'Poly to load the above that I got another chapter done as well (see next post)

[Googlie]

The Eminence
Tau Ceti Star System


“Theory into Reality” H’rvath resonated to no-one in particular. “We’re the test tube hatchlings for the scientists to discover if their elegant theories work.”

’Voth altered “Of course they work. Or at least they did four millennia ago – no reason why they won’t work today. You have to trust science.”

H’rvath grunted mirthlessly, the dissonating resonance echoing off the command console surfaces and grating to the receptors of the others. “Trust the scientists? Look what they did when we trusted them before. Destroyed complete star systems and almost cost us our own. Never again must they…..”

Rr’ark’s interruption resonated sharply, insistently, cutting H’rvath off in mid stream:

“Singularity approaching – need attention”

H’rvath subsided into her couch. This discussion would be continued at a later time. Right now was coming up one of the most crucial parts of their mission.

’Tlotl was giving Rr’ark the readouts as they approached the wormhole. To the naked eye, gazing ahead into space, there was nothing discernable. But to the instrument sensors, the gravitational distortion was intense, represented on their screen by a series of colors. Rr’ark was piloting by sense now, the resonance radar picking up and returning the echoes of the variances in the magnetic field surrounding the singularity.

“Going in” he resonated softly, as The Eminence entered the outer fringes of the gravitational distortion.

The ship bucked, and tossed as it was drawn deeper into the well of the wormhole. The viewing ports turned black, and H’rvath was seized again with the nauseous feeling that she always had in these situations – using psi-gates between the Harmony cities always gave her that same feeling when she was Planetside

The antigrav dampers were working full blast as Rr’ark wrestled with the controls, aligning the course from the Tau Ceti to the Alpha Centauri star systems. Even in a wormhole it would take them well over six turnings to cross the just over twelve light years separating the two systems.

As the g-forces built up, H’rvath gave up the fight and relaxed into the antigrav bed that the command couch molded round her body.

And slept.

**********************************

Immunity
Harmony Orbit
Tau Ceti Star System

Emperor Go’og lounged in the Boardroom, idly drumming his talons on the tabletop, oblivious to the scratches and dents he was causing.

Banned

That was the expression that his Chief Scientific Officer had used.

How could one ban an Emperor?

All he had done was to try and communicate with the Eminence while she was navigating the wormhole. Just a short, harmless resbursts, containing some data uploads that he’d found of this alien, human, race, all the better to identify them if they would happen to meet on Manifold Six.

But Chief Science Officer M’ing had stormed in and cut the telemetry and res baffles from the subspace generator so that he was cut off for the period when the ship was wormholing, resonating loudly about illegal uploads, being against the “rules” and on and on incessantly. Could endanger the lives of the Mission crew, confuse the navigation through the wormhole, the Creators had been adamant - communications black-out. And more of the same. By the Systems, Go’og’s head hurt.

There was so much he wanted to tell ‘Voth, as well. He had prepared a voluminous crystal’s full library of hints about commanding, dealing with the crusty Admiral Rr’ark and the venerable H’rvath, setting out rules of engagement for conduct on Manifold Six, if it came to that, managing the decision-making process on board The Eminence itself, and lots more.

Now he was waiting like a common Progenitor drone for M’ing to lift the ban and let him go about his Imperial duties once more

‘Ah, well’, he thought – ‘at least I can review the mission plan’

He turned back to the table, and with a wave of a forelimb brought up again the resburst Holovid of the Mission discussion of a few tenthturnings ago, and settled back to study these weird emanations from Manifold Six, and the suggestions of the Mission participants as to what they should do when they entered the planet’s orbit.

[Googlie]

Double Post during the Communications blackout - will backfill later

[Mongoose]

[Vev]

Darn sunspot activity.

[GeneralTacticus]

[Corellion]

Confronted witht he hoards of little laughing faces, I shall limit my response to saying "Great Work".

[Googlie]

Onboard The Eminence

‘Tlotl was bored.

It was now 3 turnings since they’d entered the wormhole, and even at a 90% sublight speed it would be several more before they egressed in the Tau Ceti Star System.

He’d studied the “bines” as ‘Voth had called them, and had detected an occasional recurring pattern that he’d run through a crude decoder he’d built. But it made no sense to him at all.

Something about “Freeing the Gorilla”. Whatever that was. And what was “freeing”? To ‘Tlotl it was just gibberish, and he’d need many turnings of observation of these strange alien robots operating on Manifold Six in order to set the “bines” in context.

And all the time he was conscious of the nearness of Sartir. He’d seen her occasionally when he went to the small eating galley, or the exercise deck, but she mostly spent time with her Gnat.

He’d visited with Fal’on to see what progress he might be making on the Polls matter, but found him to be as flummoxed as was ‘Tlotl with the bines.

“I need more time to establish the context of these pollutants,” he had pontificated, his resonance deep, and brooking no challenge. I have established it is audio pollution – but the probe’s receptors are primitive and the corresponding signal is weak. But I have succeeded in defining around thirty distinct threads, but there is some angry sounding chatter surrounding some of them, so again, it will be easier when we are in cloaked orbit and can turn our more sophisticated equipment to the task of deciphering their content.

“Most seem to emanate from a single planetary point, though, that in the Manifold Six zoomed Holovid seemed to be some underground structure of sorts. It will be interesting to get out sensors trained on that source and study them in more detail.

“And I can’t wait to get out of this wormhole and pick up some fresh resburst material from our probes there.”

‘Tlotl grunted in agreement, then went off in search of Sartir. He was determined to get to know her better, so had thought of some questions to ask her to get her into a deep resonance exchange.

################################

He felt it again as he approached aft of the ship, towards the weapons bay. The closest analogy he could come up with was that it felt like a mental wash.

A presence in his mind, somewhat soothing yet disturbing at the same time. But with no attendant resonance to give it definition. Just an awareness that there was a nearby presence that seemed to be probing him.

He turned the corner and entered the small flight operations center, and saw Sartir bending over a small table with a Holovid projection centered above it, a depiction of a star system with attendant planets identified and lazily circling some of the stars.

He approached her, coughing discretely, and trilled a short greeting as she turned and saw him:

“Hi – I’m ‘Tlotl, in case you’d forgotten. We met just after we boarded. I work at the Observation Station.”

She regarded him, then resonated softly:

“Of course I remember, and if I didn’t, ‘Aqila has been warning me of your approach for a few tenths already. You must have felt him in your mind?”

“Oh – that’s it,” he altered. “I wondered what was happening. I’ve never had a mind probe before. It was quite disconcerting.”

“Well, I’d hardly call it a mind probe. He’s really quite primitive when it comes to Progenitors other than me …but then he’s bonded to me. Come on and I’ll introduce you to him.”

‘Tlotl followed her across the deck and paused by a door, hitting a series of staccato taps on the lockpad. The door irised open, and she entered, followed by ‘Tlotl.

He gasped audibly as he passed into the hangar. Two sleek, midnight black lethal looking Gnats sat primed for action, resting on their catapult launchers and each facing its own eject bay.

Instinctively, ‘Tlotl knew that the nearer one was ‘Aqila and the far one was Phraek.

They were beautiful in their menace. Death was their signature, and ‘Tlotl could see it all, and as his eyes roved over the craft, unbidden into his mind came the lethal description furnished empathically by Sartir who was following his gaze with interest.

“String Disrupter Cannon” was the label he placed on the weapons node that protruded from the open maw of the Gnat, currently being worked on by a mechanic. As his eyes fell to the nacelles on each side of the fuselage, he focused on the port weapons array, and the descriptor “Resonance Bolt” flashed to the forefront of his understanding – a resonance field generator attached to a tachyon bolt weapons system. Glancing to the starboard, he saw what he immediately recognized – thanks to Sartir – as a Dissociative Wave Generator.

“She’s well armed,” he resonated softly to Sartir.

“He”, she altered. “Somehow it never works – the empath bonding – with same sex pairs. So we have female pilots with male Gnats, and vice versa. And yes – he is. The tragedy is that we can barely maintain them, as the technology is lost – as is that for most of our weaponry – in the Succession Wars.”

‘Tlotl replied quizzically:

“But I thought that the Gnats were like giant birds, not machines?”

“They were once,” she altered in reply. “When we first met he was a gangly bird, but over time, as the training took place, various modifications were grafted on, his neural circuits were enhanced, his skin was armored, weapons bays were grown and a command module for me to interact with him. And over time he lost all but his sentience. Now he is a living example of the heights to which Mind Machine Interface can reach.

“He is fitted with singularity drive, 8-res armor has been bonded to his skin, and in addition to the resonance and string disrupter weapons, and the Disswave ability, he also has SAM capability. Bred for space, we don’t know how he’ll react in planetary atmospheric conditions. And of course he has cloaking ability. There are not many units in Progenitor service today that have three additional abilities as well as dual weapons systems.”

She ran a sheathed talon along its sleek hull as she resonated, and ‘Tlotl could almost feel the palpable pleasure that ‘Aqila felt at the touch. He sensed it was something special. But he had to ask.

“Do ……….. do ….. pilots ever mate, then?” he resonated interrogatively

She trilled in laughter.

“Of course,” she altered. “Your own H’rvath was mated to a pilot – in fact S’oth, her broodmate, was bonded to ‘Aqila’s sire.” Then her resonance altered slightly, and ‘Tlotl could feel the latent pain she was suppressing: “But we don’t live much beyond our Gnats. The bond is forged too deeply, that when they go, we wither and die within a few turnings. No one knows why, it just happens.”

‘Tlotl pondered that. “But couldn’t the affection for one’s mate override that of the bond between Pilot and Gnat?”

“Many have thought that,” she altered gently. “But we know of no instances where it has proven true. We lose so much when our Gnats sing their death song. We can take joy in training their offspring, but it is only fleeting.”

‘Tlotl realized he had much to learn about Gnats and their bondpilots.

################################

He found H’rvath in the small ship’s lounge poring over a Holovid of a planet.

He coughed discreetly, and she looked up and beckoned him in to her side.

“Observe,” she resonated. “I have identified where these strange polls and binaries are emanating from. And some other interesting data.”

She was looking at the Holovid of Manifold Six, sent by resburst from the pilotless probe and downloaded just before they entered the wormhole.

“I have identified seven locations on the Manifold that I deduce these aliens are populating. Here and here …" she stabbed a talon at two places on the surface – “are where the strongest emanations are coming from. I think that when we arrive in orbit we should arrive cloaked, and perhaps extract an alien being for examination and interrogation. As soon as we egress we will receive a better quality up-to-date resbursts and it will be your mission to learn their alien language from the data we receive.

“I understand that you have made some progress to date?”

‘Tlotl stammered in reply “With all modesty, I have made a little progress – but I do not understand that to which they refer, for the most part.”

“Well, that will change,” she altered. “How much longer are we to be cooped up here like wild hatchlings?”

‘Tlotl thought for a tenth. “Just over one more turning, I believe.”

“Well, let’s get ready for the event,” she altered again. “I expect ‘Voth will deploy at least one Gnat on egress just to be on the safe side. It could become hectic.”

‘Tlotl took that as a sign of dismissal, and left for his own small cabin.

[Kody]

Most seem to emanate from a single planetary point

The hive apologises for the pollutants.

Keep up the good work Googlie.

Kody

[johndmuller]

"Honored H’rvath! Honored H’rvath! Come quickly to the DeCon chamber, Quickly, Quickly! We've got one of the aliens you wanted for interrogation - it's talking, we think, but the translation module is missing the half of it - but it's a real alien, a real live alien, isn't that exciting, right here in the ship?", blurted out Tlotl all in one breath and still ready to chatter on some more, had not 'Vath raised a hand.

"Do you now, dear Tlotl?" came the res/reply.

"Yes Honored H’rvath! it seems to be communicating in low frequency atmospheric resonances, but not random noise, but patterned emissions, punctuated even - with synchronized movements of the extremities, very vigorous movements sometimes and even dangerous for those with a lowered alertness quotient. . . . Here we are . . . I don't know what to say on such an historic and momentous occasion . . . what do you think it is trying to comm?"

"Me Baretta, you Jane, . . . , Awwkkk!!"
"Take me to you #*^&$#in' leader, . . . , Awwkkk!!, you &*^$##in' %#$$@#s. . . . , Awwkkk!! The *&%# $%##ed Cuspidore will have your @$$#$ for (*^%in' lunch . . . , Awwkkk!!. . . , Awwkkk!!. NameRank%^&$%^#in'SerialNumber, . . . , Awwkkk!!. . . , Awwkkk!!. . . , Awwkkk!!"

"So what do you think, Honored H’rvath?"

"Stupid ^%$%#$@in' Aliens, . . . , Awwkkk!!. . . , Awwkkk!!. . . , Awwkkk!!"

[Vev]

"An excellent speciment, although smaller than I expected. Now once we picked their minds and weaknesses, we shall conquer and enslave these noisey aliens befouling Manifold 6."

[dmm1285]

are the gnats mindworms?

[Googlie]

Originally posted by dmm1285
are the gnats mindworms?

No - they are not indigeneous to Chiron.

They are from Harmony, the Progenitor home planet in the Tau Ceti star system. An alien avian, mutated, genetically modified, and enhanced through a bio-engineering process that uses bioadaptive resonance techniques to produce reversed digital sentience

The technology to "manufacture" them has been lost in the famous Succession Wars that left Harmony blighted and the great Progenitor battle fleet scattered and factionalized. Only a handful have been nurtured and are now in the Emperor's retinue. Two are attached to the Eminence

G.

[Googlie]

LOL, jdm

Maybe 'Aqila would handle the "interrogation" though, recognizing a like species?

G.