Traveler in the Dark

22

"Leroux, Leroux, get up here. The Captain's down— Emery too!" Titov shouted into the filament. Issk'ath towered over him and he could see Liu pressing himself against the opposite wall. Thick smoke billowed through the open door. The metal insect was sooty but whole. It seemed to be moving normally, whatever that meant. Titov wondered if it was angry. If it was capable of anger. They'd miscalculated. Badly.

Issk'ath's steps shook the Wolfinger as it moved forward. It lifted the door off of the Captain as if it were made of paper rather than steel, and set it carefully to the side. Titov scrambled toward Liu as it picked up the captain, hooking a sharp leg through his vinyl suit.

"I would have let you go. Or stay. However you chose. I had no reason to harm you. My only purpose is to protect the colony. We could have been allies. We should have been allies."

"Why— did you trap us?" Captain Stratton's speech gurgled and paused in the wrong places. Titov winced.

"To keep you from trying to do what you just did. I only wanted to be certain you meant no harm. Dorothy was teaching me. Your ship was teaching me."

"You killed—"

"Yes," shouted Liu, "You killed your own people. Why should we believe you?"

Issk'ath turned its pale eyes toward them. "Deception is not a priority in my programming. If it were, I would have hidden the past from you. I have chosen other methods to interact with you."

Leroux and Oxwell were in the doorway, Martham close behind. "May I—" Leroux started softly and flinched as it turned toward her.

"This one dies. It is broken."

"Let me help, I might be able to save him."

"But if you fail, his data will be lost. I should upload him now."

"Let— go. Don't want— to be stuck— forever," said Stratton.

Issk'ath laid him down on the steel decking. "Very well. I only wish to aid you."

Leroux darted forward, shooting a nervous glance up at the insect before concentrating on Stratton. Oxwell circled it to kneel beside Rebecca.

"That one's functions are within parameter," said Issk'ath. "It seems to have entered rest cycle."

"She's not sleeping," said Oxwell. "Beck, wake up."

Rebecca groaned at the sudden burst of pain in her skull. Alice helped her sit slowly up. "What happened?"

Issk'ath shifted and sunk down with a whir. "This is Emery?"

"Yeah, I'm Emery." She winced as Alice gently probed the back of her head. Leroux and Cardiff lifted the captain and carried him carefully out of the equipment lock. Rebecca watched them, dazed.

"I did not intend you harm. Dorothy is fond of you. You were not part of the explosion. I apologize."

"I'll be okay. And you?"

"I am at optimal function. Your leader, unfortunately, is not. He dislikes the idea of transference."

Rebecca squinted up at the triangular face that lingered too close to her own. "I can't say I'm comfortable with it either. You say you have Dorothy in there, but is it really her? Or is it just her data?"

"What use is the distinction?"

Rebecca shook her head. "Never mind. We can talk about it later. After Captain Stratton is treated. You never answered my question. What do you intend for us?"

"My only mission is to protect the colony. As long as your presence does not threaten it, I have no intentions for you. Your leader seems opposed to that situation."

"I— I think there might have been some sort of misunderstanding—"

"There's no misunderstanding," said Titov, "This thing is dangerous. It's severely wounded the Captain and it killed Hackford—"

"It didn't kill—"

"Shut up Liu. Whose side are you on? Look Iss— whatever you are, you need to leave. And you need to hide." Titov shoved at it, trying to push it toward the door, but it was massive and Issk'ath didn't move. "Because we're coming. Whether you like it or not. Our people up there— the conditions are 'not optimal'. Our kids are dying. It took us sixteen hundred years to find this planet. We aren't going to find another one. Maybe you can't process this with your wire brains. We're desperate, got it? That means we will do whatever it takes. Bombs, guns, damming your rivers, collapsing your nest, whatever it takes. We're ready. So get out of our way or get crushed."

Issk'ath turned back toward Emery. "This one's hostility is irrational."

"We aren't always rational organisms, Issk'ath," said Oxwell.

"Maybe you should wait outside. Just until the Captain is better," said Rebecca.

"He will not get better. If I am not here, his data could be lost."

"That is how the Captain would prefer it," said Rebecca. "Your programming doesn't extend to us, does it?"

"No. You are correct, Emery. I will wait outside."

Issk'ath extended to its full height and backed quickly out of the open door. Liu puffed out a relieved breath.

"What do we do now?" asked Titov.

"Technically, the next ranking officer is Al Jahi. It's up to her until Captain Stratton is back on active duty," said Liu. "But I think we should get Emery a painkiller and talk to the others, if we're taking suggestions."

Alice helped Rebecca up. "We don't really have any options," said Alice. "Not if we want to uphold protocol. I was ready to declare Dorothy free of quarantine. But that was before we came into contact with Issk'ath. If its story is to be believed, then we have little to worry about. But if it is lying— it hasn't been through decontamination and just brought whatever it might be carrying aboard the Wolfinger. I'm afraid we can't return to the Keseburg until we are certain, whether we decide that's for the best or not."

"But it said it didn't want to use deception—" started Rebecca.

"Oh boy, you hit your head harder than I thought," said Titov. "Why wouldn't it lie about lying?"

"Come on," said Liu, "it does no good arguing out here. We need to get the door back on and see what the others are thinking."