At some point Alex zoned out and just tried to endure the walking. He was brought back to reality when Alesti stopped walking and set her side of the tank on the ground.
“Reesie… Reesie!”
Alex watched with intense curiosity as she kneeled down over the tank and knocked on the glass a few times. She stopped and looked up at Alex and pointed to the tank. “Symboli.”
Alex knelt alongside understanding her amazement. “Yeah, Symboli.” He was attempting to convey a closeness to Symboli when he reached forward pressing his hand against the tank with his eyes closed. When he stopped he noticed she was watching him intently. Then she did the same to the tank, then walked over to Alex and did the same to him. Her hand touching his chest. When she finished, she quickly picked up her side of the tank and waited for Alex to catch on. He wasn’t sure how to feel or think about what just happend or interprit it exactly, he figured he would have ask it about it later.
They continued down the seemingly endless tunnel, Alex spent most of the time considering all he knew about this planet, which wasn’t much, and no meaningful observations of the tunnel seemed to manifest. After what seemed like half a day they entered another large cavern with what appeared to be an exit. This empty space was nearly identical to the first one they came across at the other end.
Moments after reaching the cavern, Alesti laid down, curled next to Symboli, and promptly fell asleep. Alex did feel exhausted physically but he did not feel mentally tired. Instead of sleeping, he removed the headset from her, which did not seem to wake her, and he walked over to the exit of the cavern. It was still raining but lightly, in a soothing way.
“How goes the translation?” Alex asked.
“Progress is slow.”
“I don’t understand, you were able to translate the Gothan language in the matter of hours it seemed like.”
“You forget that I have access to thousands of audio and video data streams to glean information from. So far all I have is the perspective of one individual.”
“I get your point,” he turned from the entrance and looked at Alesti laying on the hard stone floor.
“What do you make of her behavior towards us?”
“There’s a lack of reference to make any assumptions. Everything we have experienced could be nothing more then the attention any stranger would receive.”
“Hmm… well I am hungry, I need to eat.” After briefly looking around the room for food he gave up quickly. Then realized he needed to relieve himself again. He stepped to the cave opening just shy of getting wet and soon felt much better.
“Excellent, that’s a good sign that your body is in fact healing or at least functioning.” Alex felt odd being praised for taking a piss.
“Thanks…?”
“How long do you think she will be asleep?” Alex asked quietly.
“It’s hard to say, you have both been under great physical exertion and I have recorded only three sleeping periods with Alesti and they were between two and ten hours long.”
“Yeah you’re not being helpful again.”
“I suggest you try and sleep as well, it will help pass the time and the hunger.”
Without saying anything Alex sat down against the wall and attempted to fall asleep.
“Symboli, assuming I applied moderate uninterrupted effort given my bodily needs and typical socialization, how long would it take to create what we need to create a fabricator and then a ship to get us home?”
“If there are no existing forms of electricity on this planet, and we assume all the materials exist to allow manufacturing, and you do all the work by yourself, then perhaps eight to ten years. If all events are favorable. However, statistical probabilities suggest it will take fifteen years and as many as forty. You should also be aware I calculate a chance larger than half that you will not ever leave this planet.”
“Thank you.” Alex said sarcastically as he let his shoulders fall.
“Alex, why do you thank me for such gloomy news?”
“I appreciate your honesty.” Alex forced a sigh and looked out the cave entrance as the weather continued to improve.
Just as sleep was encroaching he reached out with his mind. It had been ahwile since he had last done so. Before he could focus on one mind he became alarmed as he found another mind alarmingly close by. He reached over to Alesti and shook her once.
Alex held his finger to his face. “Shhhh,” he whispered quietly.
“Alex, put the headset on her.” Symboli said. Alex quickly did as she suggested and stood in front of Alesti with the handgun pointing towards the cave entrance.
First he heard a couple of footsteps. Then someone entered the cavern quickly, but froze in place at the sight of the glowing light green tank.
Alesti quickly stood in front of Alex, “Dornt.”
“Alesti reesie pas?”
“All.” Alesti turned to face the new visitor and walked over. She reached out until they touched hands, like a slow motion high five. Then began conversing.
Alex put the gun away and sat down on the tank as he waited for some kind of update. Remembering the datapads he pulled one out and began to converse with Symboli.
* * *
Alesti
Alesti was glad to see an old friend. She watched Alex pulled out one of the smart rocks and begin doing something to it.
“Alesti, is that really you?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you were killed… I cannot believe you are still alive.”
“Jertic, does my sister still live?”
“The last any of us heard she is well and at Unbiters side.”
Alesti looked as if she had just been punched in the gut.
“I’m going to kill him!”
“If anyone has a claim to vali justice, it’s you.” Jertic said and then continued.
“We all saw the chariot fall from the sky. We took it as a sign that Huvalla is most displeased with the murders of your royal family. Unbiter fears the sign and has conscripted the entire regiment in defense of the realm.”
“As he should, Huvalla saved my life and gave me her warrior. He has already proven to be deadly.”
“Why does he not look like us?” Jertic asked with rapid glances in his direction.
“He is a god, he can look however he wants.” Alesti responded.
They both stared at Alex, a bit too long perhaps. However, he seemed completely unaware while he was fixated on his smart rock.
“What is that he sits on and holds?” Jertic asked still fixated on Alex.
“Those are gifts from Huvalla, he will use them to defeat my enemies.”
Alesti watched Jertic for a few moments, he didn’t seem convinced.
“So what are you going to do?” Jertic asked.
“I must find my remaining friends and then I will free my sister.”
“What is that you’re wearing on your head?” Jertic asked.
Alesti hesitated. “It is from the warrior, I do not know what it does.” She said, feeling guilty for lying.
“Are you sure he is a warrior? He does not look like one.” Jertic asked.
“What are you doing here?” Alesti asked as she looked out the cave entrance.
“Our new king is killing all of the old servants, most of us are fleeing. I learned of this tunnel from when I was still in the service. Some are making the trek to the unknowing lands beyond the ridge. I wanted to get there first so I am taking this short cut.”
“Few people have ventured that way, no one has returned. Why choose such a perilous destination?”
“Not like there’s much choice. What am I gonna do, go east, or worse south? Besides, Unbiter is gathering men to venture towards the crash site.”
Alesti laughed hard.
“He will lose half those men in the flatlands, the ground is nice and soft thanks to this rain. Besides he would need every citizen alive to have any chance of acquiring that chariot.”
“You’ve seen i
t?”
“Of course I’ve seen it, how else would I have met my warrior? I’ve even been inside it.”
“Saaaooooo.” Jertic said with wide eyes.
“Do you have any food we have not eaten properly for some time.”
“Eh… here.” Jertic pulled off the sack from his back and removed a loaf of wheat bread. It was not stale but it was far from fresh.
Without thinking she tossed the whole loaf to Alex. Who seemed to accept it gratefully.
Alesti looked back towards Jertic with expectation.
“I was not thinking you would give him the whole loaf, perhaps you can share?”
Alesti looked back at Alex who had already begun eating it.
“I do not think he wants to share.” Alesti said “But it is ok, do not worry about me.”
“You are the only one I worry about.” he reached in his sack and removed another loaf of bread, giving it to Alesti. “I’ll have to make the land work for me.”
“I have no doubt you will succeed, turn around.” Alesti began to wipe the mud from his legs and lower back. His torso was still relatively clean. He must have sure footing, she thought to herself.
“You shame me by doing this… this which is done by servants.”
“I do not shame you, I honor you… for when has a princess ever done this?”
“I have done nothing to deserve honor, except to stumble upon you in the rain.”
She felt her aggravation growing. She had always dealt with those around her putting her on a pedestal and she was never comfortable with it. Even now, her title didn’t really mean anything and still this continued. It had been the only bright spot in the recent calamity to her and her family that she would no longer be treated as a princess. “Fine, please continue on your way do not let us stop you.”
“I believe it would be safer If I were to stay with –“
“Go!” Alesti pointed down the dark tunnel and expectantly waited for him to leave.
She felt Alex approach her side and stand next to her. He didn’t even have to say anything. His presence was enough to deter Jertic from speaking more. She watched as Jertic began jogging down the tunnel. She looked at Alex with his ugly head, and felt overwhelmed with support. It makes sense that Huvalla’s warrior would be ugly, she thought. War deforms even the princely. She was thankful he was there to protect her. I have sworn to Huvalla herself to serve you for life. I better get used to it. She smiled and sat down at the entrance of the cavern attempting to calculate when the rain would stop.
She had trouble admitting it to herself but she already regretted pushing Jertic away. She returned to her spot and got comfortable as the rain continued.
CHAPTER 4
I BEFORE E
IT WAS TWO days before the rain stopped. Alex might have gone on in the rain but some of the areas on the ridge were pretty steep. When they exited the cave entrance they were hungry once more. Plus the ground was still damp and slippery. They made their way down the gentler of the two paths but it tripled the length of the descent into the new valley. They had completely walked through the entire ridge to the other side. In the midst of the valley were villages of various sizes. The buildings were all only one or two stories high. Most were made out of wood, but some were made out of a material he couldn’t identify at this distance. It would be a half days journey to reach the nearest village and there was a larger city in the distance.
Alesti led the way towards the nearest village. Right before they reached it they stopped and hid behind a large cluster of trees.
“Symboli, why are we hiding?” Alex whispered into his headset.
Next to him, the datapad lit up and Alesti responded to something Symboli was communicating.
“Danger.” Symboli responded
“Yeah, Sym I got that much.” Alex said with a deep but hidden frustration.
“I wish I could be of more help –“
“Symboli, I do not wish to hide, what are the chances I will be attacked if I walked out in the middle of the village?”
“I do not –“
“Yeah, yeah you don’t have enough information.”
He looked at Alesti who was busy watching the village and pushing pictures on the datapad responding to Symboli’s questions.
“Ok I’m going.” Alex grabbed handfuls of mud and began smearing them on the green glowing tank, then he placed branches and other vegetation around it.
The moment he finished he stood up and walked head tall into the village. He could hear alien conversations happening in various locations. He approached from behind one of the buildings, which looked like it was made out of mud bricks. It was one story tall and had two long rectangular windows on each side of the building.
As he made his way to the front of the building he decided to peek into one of the few windows available. Children were just starting to enter the room, while conversations began to get louder for those already there inside.
“Alex, get me into that building, introduce yourself to the smallest group of kids please.” Symboli said.
“What is your intention?” Alex asked, dispite already being determined to enter the building via the front door.
As he neared the front door, someone exited the building and walked directly in front of him, but they were so preoccupied with a wooden branch of some kind that Alex went unnoticed. Alesti managed to sneak up on Alex and pulled his arm back hard and toward the rear of the building at the hiding spot where another man waited in a crouched position.
“Who is this guy?” Alex asked.
The man looked at Alex hard but didn’t say anything, instead he covered Alex and Alesti in thick robes and then the three of them, with the digi tank, walked towards a juntard carriage. Alesti and Alex climbed into the back while the other man took control and started off towards another direction.
“Where are we going?” Alex asked Alesti not having much hope for an answer.
“Friends.” Symboli responded in translation after she replied.
“What are we doing, Symboli? How is this helping me get back home? I thought you wanted me to take you into that room.”
The carriage took off at a faster pace, and Alex had to get used to the violent ride in the back as the ground was not smooth by any means.
“I calculate a high likely hood that your life is in danger. I suggest you wait a bit longer before you’re forced to display your god like powers once again, what little you have of it.”
Alex reached down and touched the weapon just to make sure it was still there. He focused with significant effort on Alesti’s bone crest, she looked so similar to a human. He began to think about all the people on Earth, and the unstoppable menace that threatened the galaxy. He wouldn’t even be able to warn Earth. Then he started thinking about why they stopped responding to the subspace messages he transmitted after he reached the center. All the possibilities occupied his mind for a long time, time enough for them to have reached another village altogether.
Alesti got out and waited for Alex to follow. They were in the center of a small cluster of buildings, perhaps nine of them, only one had the height of a second level.
Alesti and the other man began speaking rapidly to each other. After a few moments Alesti spoke to Alex directly.
“Go inside quickly before your drawn into conversation with the locals. It seems we are to wait for something or someone.” Symboli said.
Alex walked inside the nearest building as if he belonged there and began looking around.
“No, go into the furthest room and remain there.” Symboli said.
Alex walked into a furthest, and incidentially the smallest room. It had strange writings on the wall. Their version of a chalkboard, he thought. There was one child in the room that looked petrified. Unsure of how to prevent the impending undesirable situation with a terrified child he reached and pointed towards the symbol on the left.
“I.” The girl responded. Alex touched the next symbol.
&nbs
p; “Pa.” She followed.
Alex touched all thirty eight symbols.
“Alex, this is excellent information, I am reviewing all conversations up to this point and recalculating language variables.”
“My name is Alex.” Alex tried to explain to the girl. “Alex.” He pointed to himself.
“Yesla.” She pointed to herself and Alex smiled, she smiled back.
“Alex, please go to the adjacent room. I believe this is a learning center.”
Alex turned to leave the room but several people stood in the doorway and blocked his path, including Alesti.
“Washa Tulie.” One of the much older men in the group said. Then stepped toe to toe with Alex. “Washa Tulie.”
“Hello, my name is Alex. I am from Earth, please do not hurt me.”
The older man looked back towards Alesti.
“Ha iso.” She replied simply.
Alex looked at the nearest symbol and pointed to it.
“I.” The little girl replied as if she was still in class.
Then with the assistance of Symboli, Alex recited the entire alphabet.
Alesti clapped her hands once with a big smile and spun quickly in a circle, she then spoke much too quickly for Alex or Symboli to differentiate syllables.
“Relo.” Alesti reach out with her arm. Alex quickly followed edging past several of the people that stood still as he walked by. She took him to another room.
This room included words and short phrases, followed by crude images.
Alex quickly started piecing together the language in his mind, Symboli was a couple steps ahead of him.
“Alex with an appropriate word bank I can offer approximate fluency.” Symboli said calmly in his ear.
Alex identified a closed book in the far end of the room. As he approached it several of the men closed the distance and stood between him and the book. The book was thick to be sure, but appeared almost new, in a unrefinded sort of way.
“Hock.” The oldest man said and approached the book himself. Taking special care he slowly opened the book with as little physical intervention as possible.
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