Void Piercer

Chapter 3: Die! Or Don't. I Don't Care.

\\This is Jun'e beacon ship. You have about thirty seconds to surrender,// a telepathic voice tells us. \\If you do not surrender we can not protect you from the Yont.//

"This is Nogesten, captain of independent exploration vessel Void Piercer," Nog yells. "On the behalf of my crew, we surrender."

\\Good call. Our ambassadors will be boarding momentarily.//

"Why'd you surrender?" Glenn demands. "We can take them!"

"Our engines are offline, our weapons are down, we're running on battery power, shields are inoperable, who the hell knows what's going on with the gunboats, and we're most definitely not trying to start a war!" Just then, far in the distance, a ship appears. The thing emerges from a flat wormhole and comes to a stop in the middle of our field of view, blotting out the stars. "And there's also that," Nog points out. "The Yont I presume."

\\That is correct.// Unlike before, the voice has a clear direction of emanation and we all turn to find that somehow the Jun'e had slipped their ambassadors aboard without our notice. They're really are much like a deer, hoofed feat, four legged stance, and large dark eyes with no discernible features. They're head is pear shaped with a small mouth and slit nose at the narrow end, and a crest of spines emerging from the other. Their fur is bristly like a stiff wash brush and a reddish bronze. They're back is sloped and their stance a bit like a gorilla's, and when they proceed to stand up on two legs their crest brushes the ceiling and they tower over Raych. Their forward hooves split apart and unfold into smaller manipulators which they offer to Nog.

\\Nogesten, captain of the Void Piercer. I offer you my hand.//

Nog cautiously shakes the hoof and backs away. The Jun'e collapses back onto their forelimbs before continuing. \\You are new. And you are diverse. This is interesting, you must tell me, is this level of integration the norm.//

"Uh..." Nog addresses the assembled crew. "Who's first contact?"

"I am," I tell them.

"Anyone else?" they ask desperately.

"Me," says Raych. "But I'm just linguistics, and that doesn't seem to be a problem."

\\You have a linguist!// The Jun'e calls out in delight. \\And I see that they do not know any of our tongues, do not worry. We will remedy that.//

"Raych," hisses Nog. "You're up." Raych ignores them, busy mouthing silent words.

\\We are already having a conversation with them,// says the Jun'e but what I am interested in is you. Why have you come here, why has one of our ships been destroyed, why where you at its last known position? The Yont are going to want to know these things."

"Who are the damm first contact personnel."

"I am!" I shout at them.

"Ava," says Veen. "I've got this." She walks forward, her Myren ears twitching alertly, and bows to the Jun'e. "I am Veen Lotas, ambassador to the Myren."

\\Our names are not composed of sounds but ideas, you are not able to remember one let alone enough to address us. Although, if in the distant future you need to address me, I will answer to the Meter of Veen Lotas.//

"Thank you, and let me convey my deepest regrets for your loss."

\\We do not care about sympathy, only about the truth.//

"But your people..."

\\None of my people were killed, and the Yont's lost a collective twelve days of memories amongst them. We do not die when we die.//