Shattered Skies Book 1: Embers (WIP)

Ch. 11: Endurance

Date: 3/27/2159

Location: Unknown Star System

Current Perspective: Rojiss

The howling wind rattles the small portable shelter that Rojiss and the Aserati hide in. The small, pyramid-shaped tent rattles against the force, almost thrashing against its stakes to get free. All the while Rojiss and his Aserati "companion" rest up in the relative warmth of the shelter.

Their journey, though uneventful, has not been easy. The built up ash from the storm makes progress slow and hard fought; all the while the cold slowly saps their strength. The planet itself is dead. No life whatsoever on the surface, likely all snuffed out when the ash started to fall. According to the portable scanner they're less than a kilometer away from the metal signature. Whatever it may be, it should be better than their flimsy hut.

He connects a bottle of water to his suit's feeding tube, which draws the fluid out and into his mouth. He glances towards the Aserati, who is currently nibbling away at a ration bar, slowly chipping away at it with their mandibles. Remarkably docile and civil; especially considering their reputation. Perhaps that's only the soldiers. Still, being around one is a bit nerve wracking, expecting it to snap any minute. Should he have just let it die on the Reliant? No, no what kind of stupid question is that?! Sakkari vri dehndri suun. "We survive together or not at all." One of the oldest tenants of Rinar culture. Without it they would have been doomed to an eternity of primitive existence. Far be it from him to violate that time honored law.

"You know," Rojiss idly comments, the silence between them driving him a little bit crazy. "I could have never predicted that my life would take a turn quite like this. Stranded on some desolate planet alongside an Aserati. I'll have quite the tale to tell if we get out of here alive." The Aserati says something in return. Indecipherable, as usual. Maybe it's time to remedy that.

"We should try and find some way to communicate. Even a little. Make things easier." He turns to give the insectoid his full attention. "Let's start with a name." He pauses for a second, trying to decide on the best way to get his point across. "I'm Rojiss. Rojiss." He says gesturing to himself. The Aserati... He? She? From what he knows of insect social structures probably a she. She simply stares. Almost as if confused. "Me. Rojiss." He repeats.

"R-r-r-r-r..." She starts to speak, trying to feel out the word. "R-r-r-r-oh-k-i-z-z-z." She finally says, her mandibles clicking together halfway through the word.

"Yeah, yeah! There you go! Rojiss!"

"Ro... Rohkis. Rokiss!" The clicking of the mandibles seems to be unavoidable as she speaks. What she said is as close as they'll get. But it's still progress.

"There we are. Rojiss. Name, Rojiss." He gestures to himself once again. He then gestures to the Aserati. "Name..." She is silent for the moment. Soon, though, she speaks up.

"Ract'chri."

"Rachri?" Rojiss repeats, trying to mimic the harsh sounds of the alien language. "No, wait... Ractchiri? Ract... Ract'chiri, Ract'chri."

"Ract'chri!" She exclaims in excitement, her mandibles clicking rapidly.

What now? They've got momentum. What else could they exchange? Rojiss turns to his pack resting in the corner and takes a moment to rifle through it. He pulls out a datapad he intends to use to interface with whatever might be at the other end of their journey. Booting it up in low power mode he sets up a simple drawing program before turning back to Ract'chri. With the pad in clear view of both of them he takes a finger and begins to sketch out some basic pictures. A star with two planets orbiting it. A handful of crudely drawn Rinar. And an arrow connecting the Rinar to the star system. On the other side of the screen he does a similar drawing of a star system and a group of Aserati.

"Rinar." He says pointing to the group of his own kind on the screen. "Rianod." He points to one of the planets. "Rianad." He says pointing to the other. "Aserati." He points to the picture of the insectoids.

Seeming to get the idea, Ract'chri points to the other planet image. "Arasen." That's what her homeworld is called then.

"Arasen." He repeats. An easier word than her name, for sure. She takes hold of the pad for a moment, sketching her own image. Laying it back on the floor, Rojiss takes stock of the new picture. She has circled the Aserati picture and drawn another Aserati outside of the group.

"Ract'chi." She says, pointing to the lone insectoid before drawing a symbol. The same symbol carved into her forehead. "Kasi'rae." She says.

"Kasi'rae?" He echoes. She starts to draw more. She draws an extra Rinar a little further away from the others of its kind.

"Rokiss." She says while pointing to the new Rinar. She draws a line connecting it with the others. Then focuses on the Aserati. "Ract'chi." She draws another line. But instead of connecting with the group, it stops at the circle. "Kasi'rae."

He takes a minute to take it in before it clicks. "Outcast..." He mutters. "You're an outcast?" Her reply is, predictably, unintelligible. Questions start to form in his mind. Why was she outcast? Does that make him more dangerous, or less so? Did he come here willingly or was she forced here?

Still, now he knows more now than he did a short while ago. He has to wonder, though. Is it a good idea to send her to TerransFirst? That'd be nothing short of a death sentence. If she's lucky, it'll only be a passing merchant ship or transport that hears them. But even then, no Terran in their right mind would want to care for an Aserati. Her life is going to be very difficult no matter what happens.

"We should rest. Conserve energy for the rest of the trip." He says as he finishes his water. He lays down on his side, the padded insides of his suit acting as his bed. Ract'chi stays up for a little while as she finishes her ration bar before lowering herself onto the floor and tucking her legs in, likely understanding what Rojiss is doing. The sight is frankly a bit creepy. Her body wholly motionless, her eyes staring blankly ahead with no actual way to close them. All the while she is absolutely silent. If he didn't know any better he'd say she died.

He glances at the amber clock displayed on his suit lenses. They've been traveling for somewhere around 40 hours. According to his portable navigator at the rate they're going it'll be another nine or so hours before they reach the metal signature. Should Hijorok of Below bless him, it'll actually be something of worth and not some abnormally pure ore vein. Tapping a button on the back of his hand his lenses turn completely opaque, casting him into the secure embrace of darkness as he slips into unconsciousness.

Elapsed Time: 17 hours

Breeee! Breeee! Breeee! The incessant trills of his suits "critically low temperature" alert assault Rojiss' ears. The warning isn't without merit. He had switched the temperature regulation off a short while ago to conserve the suit's battery. The thermometer currently sits around 17ºC and falling. Worrying, but manageable. At least for now. Ract'chi has taken to wearing a tarp from the shelter kit to stay warm. And judging by how she is able to keep up, it seems to be working well enough. Her face isn't exactly expressive enough to clue him in on how she feels.

He scans the horizon again, trying to see if he can't make something out. An eruption from a large shield volcano way off in the distance catches his eye. Clearly visible against the backdrop of the fountain of lava is a ship. A Terivon Horizons colony ship if he's judging the silhouette right. What's a colony ship doing in an apocalyptic wasteland like this?! Regardless, that's definitely the source of the metal signature. And a ship that size should have a transmitter powerful enough to broadcast outside the star system. If the power cells haven't degraded beyond repair that is. At the bare minimum it'll serve as a shelter against the cold.

It's not far, either.. Less than a kilometer away. Judging by his companion's sudden energy she saw it too. The two of them pick up the pace, slowly trudging through the deep ashfall. Rojiss' mind starts to drift towards their next steps. If they can get a distress signal out and if a ship hears them, what then? There's no way to tell if it will be a friendly merchant vessel, a ruthless marauder, or a TerransFirst sympathiser. Maybe they'll be extremely unlucky and be in imperial space. The Rinar Collective worked hard to stay clear of the Aserati's business. He doesn't want to be the one to undo that by being a trespasser. And who knows what kind of fate would await an outcast like Ract'chi. Execution? Enslavement? Imprisonment? Well it doesn't matter until they actually get their distress call out. Best to worry about that first and figure out the rest when it becomes clear what they're dealing with.